Epilogue

Briar

On Monday, I knock on Nova's door at the Sea Dogs arena. But it's open and she's at her desk, waving me in, twirling a gold pen in her hand. "Did you have a good weekend?" she asks.

It's a normal Monday morning workplace question from a boss and one that's easy enough to answer. "It was great," I say, and that's a perfect segue to why I'm here. "And there's something I need to discuss with you."

She sets down her pen, tilting her head. "Sure. What is it?"

There's no easy way to say this, so I opt for direct. "I'm involved with…" I take a beat because what I'm about to say is a lot even in this city. Even with these teams. Even in this hockey world. "With three of the Golden State Foxes."

Her expression is blank for a long beat, then her brow creases. "You…are?"

I rarely see her rattled. She's definitely rattled.

My heart skitters. "Yes. My boyfriends are on the team. Hollis Bouchard, Gavin Worthy, and Rhys Corbyn."

She blinks. "Okay."

I square my shoulders. "And I understand they're rivals and you might want me to resign."

She barks out a laugh. "What?"

"Well, they play for our cross-town rivals."

Another laugh falls from her lips. "What, are you going to give them our yoga playbook?"

It's my turn to laugh. "No. I won't."

But her expression shifts to a deadly serious one. "I mean that, Briar. You have a contract. You're ours. We need you here. Don't share those classes you developed for us with them."

That's what she's worried about? That I'd share stretching secrets? My shoulders relax. "I won't."

"Good. Now let's talk about the stress-relief class."

And that's that.

A month later, I'm in my regular seat at center ice for a special game, with Trina and Aubrey flanking me as we wait for the start.

"Show me," Trina demands, beckoning with her fingers. "I want to see it in action."

With pride bursting through my chest, I grab my phone, swipe on the home screen, and click on the photo of me in tree pose. I click on Flow and Flex and the app opens seamlessly.

I give a silent thanks to Griffin's engineering skills.

"Look at you," Aubrey praises as she leans in close, checking out all the videos, tutorials, classes, and series.

I give them a quick tour of the app, showing off years of my work.

"How many videos are here?" Aubrey asks.

"More than four hundred," I say.

Trina whistles. "Damn. That's a lot."

"I've worked hard."

"You sure have," Trina says, then she grabs her phone and waggles it at me, showing that she's downloaded the app already. "There's another subscription for you."

I throw my arms around her, hugging her.

"I've got mine too," Aubrey seconds.

"And so do the book club girls," Trina adds, then stage-whispers, "And we're loving the better sex videos."

I grin, quite pleased. I added that series recently, starting with Sex is a Plank, then adding Men Need to Be Bendy Too, Keep Lower Back Pain from Limiting Your Kama Sutra Options, Stretch Your Girl's Cramp Out and Be Her Hero, and more.

They've been some of the most watched videos during the first week of launch. The downloads for the app are ticking along, thanks in part to the marketing I've been able to do with my prize money.

There's nothing quite like a little sweet revenge in the form of ten thousand dollars.

But the best revenge? Living well, and I've got that down to an art form.

When the Golden State Foxes skate onto the ice I turn all my attention to the game, living my best life as my men take on their cross-town rivals—the Sea Dogs.

When the game ends with a Sea Dogs victory, I wait with Trina and Aubrey in the corridor for my three boyfriends, chatting about book club. Wesley strolls by, stopping to say hello. "I hope you rooted for the good guys tonight, B," he says.

"Of course I did," I say, admitting nothing about my allegiances. I love my job and I love my guys.

"Glad to hear," the outgoing guy says, then checks his watch. "I better get some sleep. I have my charcuterie board class first thing tomorrow."

"You take a charcuterie board class?" Trina asks.

"Mine are top tier," he says with obvious pride, but then his voice trails off at the end as his attention snags on a man and a woman at the end of the corridor.

The guy is Christian, the Sea Dogs team captain. But I don't know who the woman is. Wesley can't seem to take his eyes off her though. She's a pretty brunette with cat-eye glasses and lush hair twisted up in a bun. "Who's the team captain talking to?" he asks, a little mesmerized. He watches her with avid eyes, enrapt from all the way at the end of the hall.

"No idea," I say.

Wesley walks toward them, away from us.

Trina leans in and whispers to me. "That's Josie. Christian's sister."

I arch a brow her way. "The new guy and the captain's sister. That should be interesting."

"Especially since he's made it pretty clear she's off-limits."

And Christian ushers his sister away before Wesley can even meet her.

"Maybe next time he'll have better luck," I laugh.

But whether that's meeting her or resisting her is anyone's guess.

Later, when I head home with my guys, I put Wesley's burgeoning crush, the game, and the app behind us. "I have a surprise for you," I say when we're in the elevator in my building.

"What is it?" Hollis asks, eyes sparking.

"If I tell you it won't be a surprise," I chide.

"Tell us anyway," Rhys says.

Gavin chuckles. "Have some patience, guys."

"Not all of us can be you," Hollis points out.

Once we leash up Donut and take her for a walk, we return to my home—which is nearly theirs—and I tell the dog to go to the couch. Like a good girl, she obeys.

Then, I bring the guys to the bedroom. I tell them to sit on the edge of the bed. I do a little striptease down to my panties.

"Holy fuck," they mutter in unison.

"I'm your superfan," I say, gesturing to the custom-made pair with a fox on them. Just like I promised. "Now, who wants to take them off first?"

Three arms shoot into the air. "I guess you'll just have to share me."

And they do. They share me so well.

When the season ends with stellar stats for all my men, we hop in Hollis's car and head to Lucky Falls. We rented a certain cottage for the weekend. But first we stop at a café in Petaluma for lunch with my dad.

And his special someone.

Clara.

He's been seeing her for a few months now. We head up the steps of the café, then go inside. The guys straighten their shoulders, smooth out their shirts, neaten their hair. They've had a few meals with my dad. They're scared of him but in a good way. He's a stern, gruff dad after all, who looks out for his daughter.

He was shocked at first when I told him about my boyfriends, but he loves me, and he's come to accept my unconventional romance.

Once we reach the table, Clara beams, smiling at all of us. "Knew it. Called it. I love being right."

My dad rolls his eyes, then pats her hand. I give him a bag of his favorite gummi bears. "Thanks, kiddo," he says as he stands, then brings me in for a hug.

When he lets go, he nods hello to the guys. "Good to see you, Hollis, Rhys, Gavin."

He sits and nods toward Rhys first. "Hear you're sticking around."

My British boyfriend breathes a big sigh of relief. "I am. Signed the contract yesterday."

I grab his arm and squeeze it, still giddy that he's staying put. Amira pulled it off but Rhys did the real work in therapy, learning to manage his expectations and his anxiety. I'm most proud of him for that. "I'm so happy you're staying."

Rhys dusts a quick kiss to my forehead. "Me too."

My dad clears his throat. "If it makes my daughter happy, it makes me happy."

We have lunch, and it doesn't really matter that my dad is my only parent. He loves me as I am. He takes me as I am. He respects my choices. And he makes the effort with my boyfriends.

"Are the twins ready for the college app season coming up?" he asks Hollis.

"They're a little obsessed with it," he says.

"Not a bad thing to be obsessed with," Dad says, then turns to Gavin, "And I hear you took up video editing?"

"Yes, sir," he says. "So I can help Briar."

"Good. That's good."

"And we just invested in a new apartment complex in Darling Springs, not too far away," Rhys says, always somehow knowing what my dad wants to hear. "There's a secure future in real estate for us when we're too old to chase a puck around the ice anymore."

"In a long time from now." I squeeze his leg, but he looks back at me with a smile and worry-free eyes.

When we're done, Clara fixes me with a no-nonsense stare. "You gonna do your review this summer, missy?"

I smile, wide and bright. "Sure am. I'll have company though."

She lifts a brow. "That so?"

"I convinced the guys to learn to fly a balloon."

That summer, we all go up together again and soar over the place where we fell in love.

That's how we do most things. Together. As a family and as friends.

My three real boyfriends and me.

Stay tuned for Wesley and Josie's romance in The Boyfriend Goal coming this summer! That spicy, forbidden, roomies-to-lovers romance between the new guy and the team captain's little sister is book one in Love and Hockey — an all-new hockey rom com series I can't wait to launch! The Boyfriend Goal is coming FREE TO KU!